Method of and apparatus for shearing articles



ct. 28, 1947- v. A. RAYBURN ET AL 2,429,944

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 14, 1-945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOAW r Oct. 28, 1947. v. A. RAYBURN El AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 m. RAYBUR/V 0g. R0 son! Q m 33k k 6t Filed Aug. 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 -v. A. RAYBURN ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARINQ ARTICLES Oct. 28, 1947.

INVENTOR5 L A. RAJ BURN 0G); SON

QTTTORNEY Get. 23, 1947.

FIG. 5'

v. A. RAYBURN ET AL 2,429,944

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' INVEAITORS L A. RAVBUPN.

" DC. I? BSON 'ATTO NEY Oct. 28; 1947. v. A. RAYBURN ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING ARTICLES Filed Aug 14, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ill HII II H IHH HU III w 5 A r] lNiE/V T0 RS m. RAVBURN 0. c. R Bso/v A TORW Y Patented Oct. 28, 1947 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR- SHEARDN' G ARTICLES Vincent A. Rayburn and Duet C. Robson, Baltimore, Md., assignor's to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,832

17. Claims. (Cl. 164-68) This'invention relates to methods of and ap- I paratus for shearing articles, and more particularly to methods of and apparatus for shearing strips of material into a multiplicity of slabs.

In processing rubber or rubber-like materials 2 position therewith, 'whereby a strip of plastic material to be severed is pinched therebetween, and.

' means for moving the last-mentioned member for use in some manufacturing operations, the v material is rolled into strips and the strips are cut into slabs. Apparatus hitherto known for shearing such strips into slabs has been of a reci'procatory type, including flying shears and stationary or non-flying shears. Such shearing apparatus do not conveythe stripsthroughout the operations thereof and tackiness of the strips cause them to stick to the apparatus and-buckle, so that-slabs of uniform lengths cannot be cut thereby. Also, the apparatus of the prior art require sharp-edged cutting elements to operate and the sharp-edged cutting elements must be sharpened frequently to maintain the apparatus in operative condition.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for severing articles.

In practicing the invention, a strip of plastic material is advanced toward a pair of inrunning shear rolls at a predetermined rate of speed by a pair of inrunning feed rolls. The shear rolls, which include an anvil roll and a blade roll, are driven at rates of speed at which the strip is tensioned between the feed rolls and the shear rolls, and as a blunt-edged blade'carried by the blade-roll is rotated to a position normal to the anvil roll, the strip is compressed to a membrane between the blunt-edged blade and the anvil roll. The blade is moved at a greater rate of speed than that of the periphery of the anvil roll so that the membrane is rubbedv between the edge of the blade and the anvil roll while it is pinched to a membrane. -'I 'he tension imparted to the portion of the strip between the feed rolls and the shear rolls and to the membrane, the pressure applied to the membrane by the blade and the anvil roll and the rubbing of the membrane over the anvil roll rupture the membrane so that a slab is severed from the remainder of the strip.

A method forming'one embodiment of the invention includes the steps of compressing a strip of material between a-blunt instrument and a support to form a thin film, and exerting a pull upon the strip to rupture the thin film.

An apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention comprises a pair of opposed members, a blade secured to one of the members, means for moving the blade toward the member to which it is not secured to bring the blade into severing transversely to the blade to sever the elastic strip.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed descrip-' tion of a method and an apparatus forming spe- Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sec-' 7 tion taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section takenalong line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical view in partial section of a portion of' the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary; vertical section taken along line 88 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 99 of Fig, 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

. a pair of vertical side members In and II (Fig. 2)

'the positions shown in Fig. 2. The side members I0 and II have guideways l9 and 20 (Fig. 5), respectively, formed therein, and a pair of slotted journal boxes 23 and 24 are slidably mounted in the guideways l9 and 20, respectively.

A pair of compression springs 33-30 are mounted between the journal boxes 23 and 24 and spring centering seats 3l3l (Fig, 2) engaging the ends of a pair of adjusting bolts 3232, which are threaded through a pair of tapped bores 35-35 formed in a tie-cap 33, which is bolted to the side members It and l I. The bolts 32-32 may be threaded farther into or out of bores 35--35 to adjust the compressions of the springs 30-30. The journal boxes 23 and 24 serve to rotatably mount a shaft 4| on which a blade roll 42 is secured.

A pair of slotted journal boxes 43 and 44 (Fig. 5) are secured in the bottoms of guideways l9 and 20, respectively, by a pair of cap'bolts 41-41 3 I I projecting through sleepers 45 and 46, and support a shaft 49 (Fig. 2) secured to an anvil roll 50. The journal boxes 23 and 24 are urged by.

the compression springs 30-30 toward the journal boxes 43 and 44, respectively, whereby the blade roll 42 is urged toward the anvil roll 50.

Journal boxes I-5I are mounted on the, extended extremities of. the shaft 4| and are secured to guide rods illustrated by a guide rod 52, which guide rods telescope into guide tubes 53-53 pinned to journal boxes 54-54 mounted on the extended extremities of the shaft 49. Compression springs 55-55 abutting against adjustment nuts 31-31 urge the journal boxes 5I-5I away from the journal boxes 54-54 so that the shaft 4| is urged upwardly against the top halves of the journal boxes 23 and 24 at all times and the shaft between thestrip-advancing rates of speed 'of the feed rolls and the shearer rolls is such that the blade and the anvil rolls tend to advance the strip at a rate about 20% faster than its normal rate of delivery by the ,feed rolls.

A pair of wedge-shaped bladerests 90-90 (Fig. 5) having cylindrical base portions 9 I-9I are mounted slidably in a slot 92 formed in the blade portions or the blade rests 90-90. A blade m2 7 49 is urged downwardly againstthe bottom halves of the journal boxes 43 and 44 at all times.

Stay rods 55-56 and 51-51 (Fig. 4) are secured to the journal boxes 23 and 24, respectively.

The stay rods 51-51 are slidablymountedinbores 58-58 (Fig. 3) formed in the tie-cap 33. Nuts 59-59 threaded on the upper ends of the stay bolts 51-51 may be adjusted to raise or lower the positions 'of the stay bolts 51-51 and the journal 'roll 42. An adjusting screw 95 having right andleft hand threads 96 and 91 formed on the ends thereof-is threaded into tapped bores I00 and IOI, respectively, formed in thecylindrical base having a; blunt severing edge I05 formed thereon is secured in ithe slot 92 by a clamping bar I06 (Figs. 6 and 7 and side walls I0'I of the slot 92. The clamping-bar I06 (Fig. 6) and blade roll 42 are provided with relieved portions I08 and IDS-I09 (Fig. 3), respectively, adjacent to the sides of the -blade so that only the blade and the anvil roll 50 contact the portion of the strip 85 box 24 relative to the side member II. Lock nuts 48-48 secure the nuts 59-59 intheir adjusted positions on the rods 51-51. The stay rods-56-56 (Fig. 4) are similarly mounted on the tie cap by nuts illustrated by nut 69 (Fig. 2) and lock nuts illustrated by a lock nut I3. The compression springs/-30 urge the journal boxes23 and 24 downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2, which movement is limited by the stay rods 56-56 56 that the blade roll 42 is ordinarily held a predetermined distance a roll end gear 68 keyed to the blade roll shaft 4|. The gear 61 is somewhat larger than the gear 68 and, when the gears 61 and 68 are rotated, the rolls 42 and 50 are rotated in inrunning directions at different peripheral 'speeds, the peripheral between the blade roll and the anvil roll when the blade roll is in the position shown in Fig. 3. At thistime the full --force of the compression springs 30-30 act on the blade to pinchthe strip to a membrane 98 (Fig. 6) between the blade and the anvil roll.

Inclined surfaces IIO-I I0 (Fig. 5) formed on the back of the blade I02 are complementary to and bear against'inclined surfaces I 09-I09 of the wedges 90-90. If it is desired to adjust the blade I02 relative to the blade roll 42, the clamping bar I06 is loosened from the roll 42 by loosening cap screws II8-I I8 and forcing jack'screws I I9-I I9 against a shoulder I23 to free the blade in the slot 92, and a wrench (not shown) is used to rotate a shaft III, which has a hexagonal socket H2 in an insert II 5 in which the shaft I I is mounted. A spiral gear |i6 secured to the shaft I II meshes with a spiral gear III on the adjusting screw 95, whereby the adjusting screw 95 is rotated. When the shaft III is turned, the

threads 96 and 91 are threaded farther into or .out of the tapped bores I00 and I0| and the speed of the roll 42 being greater than that of v the roll 50.

The idler gear 63 meshes with a drive pinion I2, mounted upon a drive shaft II, which is driven in a counterclockwise direction by sufiable driving means (not shown). A drive pinion I0 secured to the drive shaft II drives a gear 11 (Figs. v1 and 9) through a suitable adjustable friction clutch I6, which is rotatably mounted on a bearing post I5. The gear 11 serves to drive feed rolls 80 and 8| through gears 82 and 83, respectively. The clutch I6 transmits torque up to a predetermined amount, which may be adjusted byvarying the compression of a compression spring I9 (Fig. 9) of the clutch. I

When the drive shaft N (Fig. 1) is driven, the feed rolls 80 and 8| are driven through the system of gearing just described at rates of speed at which the strip 85 is advanced therebetween toward the rolls 42 and 50 at a rate of speed less than that at whichthe last-mentioned rolls serve to advance the strip, so that the portion of the strip between the feed rolls and the blade'and the anvil rolls is under tension. The difference blade rests -90 are drawn closer together or forced farther apart depending upon the direction in which the shaft II I is turned. I

When the blade rests 90-90 are drawn closer together, the blade I02 is forced farther out of the slot 92. in the blade roll 42. When the blade rests are moved farther apart, the blade can be pressed farther into the slot 92. After the blade has been adjusted, the clamping bar I06 is tightened in the slot and the blade is secured therein in the adjusted position. The shaft is provided with spacing collars I20-I20, which fit into a cavity I2 I' formed centrally in the blade roll and a. notch I22 formed centrally in the back of the blade, whereby the adjusting screw 95, the blade restsand the blade are held against lengthwise movement relative to the blade roll.

The blade roll is rotated through the system of the gearing described hereinabove at a predetermined rate of speed, at which rate of speed the linear speed of the severing edge I05 of the blade I02 is from about 35% to about 50% greater than that of the periphery of the anvil roll 50. The greater rate of speed of the severing edge serves to rub the membrane. 98 of the strip 85 over the anvil roll when the blade engages the strip 85. The peripheral rate of speed of the blade roll is greater than that of the anvil roll. For this reason plus the fact that the blade roll is driven by the anvil roll through gears 61 and 68; there is no backlash caused between the gears the blade I02 and the anvil roll.

6'! and by the passage of the strip between the rolls.

- F'rame members I30 and I3I (Fig. 4) are secured to a pintle I32 (Fig. 1), which serves to mount the frame members pivotally to lugs illustrated by a lug I35 formed on the frame member I3l. Shafts I36 and I3! (Fig. 8) are rotatably mounted on the frame members, and a plurality of spiral torsion springs I40-I40 and I4l-I4I (Fig. 8) secured tothe shafts I38. and I31, respectively, drive cylindrical shells I42 and I43, respectively, which shells are mounted 'rotatably upon these shafts to form tailer rolls I44 and I 45. Screws I49--I49 attach the springs I40--I40 and I4I--I4I to the' shells I42 and 'l43, respectively. The tailer rolls I44 and I45 are disclosed in detail and are claimed in copending application 'Serial No. 610,825, filed August 14, 1945, for

Methods of and apparatus for shearing strips of plastic material.

A roll end gear I45 (Fig. 1) fastened to the shaft I36 meshes with a roll end gear I4'I fastened to the shaft I31, and the gear I41 meshes with a floating gear I48 of an adjustable friction clutch I5I mounted on hearing post I50 (Fig. 3). The clutch I5I is driven by a gear I52, which meshes with the bull gear 66 when the frame members I30 and I3I are latched by a latch positions illustrated by the position of the frame member I3I in Fig. 1. The frame members I30 and I3I may be pivoted about the axis of the pintle I32 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, after unlatching the latch I55, to provide access to the shearer rolls 42 and 50.

The tailer rolls I44 and I45, when not in contact with the strip 85, aredriven in opposite inrunning directions through the gear 66, the gear I52, the clutch I5I and the gears I41 and I46 at the same peripheral rate of speed, which rate of speed is about twice'that at which the strip 85 is advanced by the rolls 42 and 50. This causes the tailer rolls to be slowed when in contact with the strip 85, whereby the spiral springs -440 and I4I--I4I (Fig. 4) are wound up so as to build up tension in the portion of the strip between the blade and -anvil rolls and the tailer rolls.

The clutch II is adjusted to transmit only a predetermined torque to the gear I48, which torque is such that the clutch I5I slips when the torsion springs I40-I40 and I4II4I are completely wound up but does not slip when the torsion springs are not completely wound up. If

desired, some of the springs I40I40. and some of the springs I4I-'-I4I- may be unfastened from the shells I42 and I43, respectively, and the clutch I'5I adjusted to transmita torque lower than that transmitted when all of the springs are connected to the shells. When so adjusted, the tension built up in the strip 85 by the tailer rolls is lower than that built up by the tailer rolls when all of the torsion springs are fastened to the shells I42 and I43.

The feed rolls 80 and 8| are spaced as close as possible to the blade roll 42 and the anvil roll 50 so that a relatively high tension is built up in the portion of the, strip.85 extending therebetween by the time the membrane 98 is formed by Also, the tailer rolls I44 and I45 are spaced as close as possible to the blade roll and the anvil roll so that the spiraltorsion springs I40--I40 and I4II4I (Figs. 4 and 9) are completely wound up'when the membrane is formed and the tailer rolls exert a high tension upon the membrane. v

1) is advanced by the feed rolls 80 and BI to the blade and anvil rolls 42 and 50, which advance the strip to the tailer rolls I44' and I45. The blade roll and the anvil roll are driven faster than the feed rolls, whereby tension is imparted to the portion of the strip therebetween. The tailer rolls are driven faster than the blade and the anvil rolls and wind up so that tension is also imparted to the portion of the strip between these two sets of rolls,

The strip 85 is contacted by the periphery of the blade roll 42 until the blade I02 engages the strip as shown in Fig, 6. At this time, the tension upon the portion of the strip between the blade and the feed rolls 80 and BI is relatively high, and the tailer rolls I44 and I45 are completely wound up and the tension upon the portion of the strip between the blade and the tailer rolls is relatively high. The blunt severing edge I05 pinches the strip into the membrane 98 and.

the tension upon the portions of the strip 85 on both sides of the severing edge to ether with the pressure of the blade andthe anvil roll 50 on I55 in upright the membrane and the rubbing of the membrane on the anvil roll cause the membrane to rupture. The tailer rolls I42 and I43 then shoot the slab severed from the strip 85 therethrough and the I rolls 42 and 50 feed the new end of the strip 85 to the tailer rolls, after which the operation described hereinabove is repeated.

During the severing operation, the blade I02 formsthe membrane 98 and rubs it over the anvil roll 50 so that the friction between the anvil rapidly sheared into' slabs.

roll and the membrane aids in rupturing the membrane. The relieved portions I08 and I09 of the clamping bar I06 and the blade roll 43, respectively, provide clearance for the strip 85 when the strip is engaged bythe blade I02 so that all of the pressure exerted upon the strip 85 by the blade and the blade roll is exerted by the blunt severing edge I05.

In the method and the apparatus described hereinabove, the strip 85 is severed into slabs of equal lengths by the pinching action of the blade I02 and the anvil roll 50, the tension placed upon the strip by the feed rolls and 8| and the tailer rolls I42 and I43 and' the rubbing of the membrane 98 by the blade. Thus, the severing edge I05 may be blunt so that it may be kept in excellent pinching condition with little or no maintenance thereof.

The feed rolls 80 and 8I, the blade roll 42, th anvil roll 50 and the tailer rolls I44 and I45 all are conveying rolls and advance the strip therebetween continuously so that the strip is The apparatus and methods embodying this invention are especially useful for severing strips of plastic materials, such as compounds made of rubber or synthetic rubber-like materials. Thus, strips of insulating and jacketing compounds, such as are used to form coverings on electrical conductors and cables, may be readily cut into slabs that are suitable for further processing in accordance with known methods. Such compounds may include natural rubber, or neoprene (polymerized chloroprene), Buna or other synthetic rubber-like material, or mixtures thereof.

What is claimed is:

. 1. In a shearing apparatus, a pair of opposed members, a blade secured to one of said members, means for moving the blade toward the other of said members to compress a portion of a strip of material between the blade and the 7 last-mentioned member, and means for effectin transverse relative movement between the lastmentioned member and the blade to sever the strip at the compressed portion thereof.

2. In a shearing apparatus, a member for supporting a strip of material to besevered, a blade having a severing edge formed thereon, means for moving the blade toward said member to compress a portion of the strip of material supported by said member between the severing edge and said member, and means for actuating said blade to move relative to said member .the portion ofv the strip compressed between said, bar and said member to sever the strip;

3. In a shearing apparatus, a member for supporting a strip of materialto be severed, a blade having a severing edge formed thereon, means for moving the blade periodically toward said member to compress a portion-of the strip of material supported by the member, means for moving the blade along the member when the 5. In a shearing apparatus, a pair of inrunning feed rolls for advancing a strip of material therebetween at a predetermined rate of speed, a pair rial is rubbed over th anvil roll when compressed between the blade and the anvil roll, and means for tensioning the strip of material.

9. In a shearing apparatus, a blade roll, an

having a slot formed therein, a blade having a pair of inclined surfaces formed thereon, means for securing the blade in the slots, a pair of' wedge-shaped blade rests slidably mounted in the slot for engaging the inclined surfaces on the blade, and means for adjusting the blade rests relative to the slot to adjust the blade relative to the slot.

a blade having a blunt severing edge, means for securing the blade to the blade roll in a position in which the severing edge thereof is parallel with the axis of the blade roll and is spaced a predetermined distance outwardly from the periphery thereof, means for rotating the anvil roll in one x direction at a predetermined peripheral rate of of shear rolls for advancing the strip of material from the feed rolls at a higher rate'ofspeed, whereby tension is built up in theportion of the strip between said pairs of rolls, and a blade extending along one of the shear rolls for compressing the strip to a thin film, whereby the tension of the strip snaps the thin film thereof.

' 6. In a shearing apparatus, a pair of juxtaposed feed rolls, means for rotating the feed rolls so as to advance a strip of elastic material therebetween at a predetermined rate of speed, a pair of juxtaposed shear rolls positioned on the recess side of the feed rolls, means for rotating the shear rolls to advance the strip at a rate of speed greater than said predetermined rate, whereby the portion of the strip between the feed rolls and the shear rolls is tensioned, and a blade projecting from one of the shear rolls for compressing the strip to a membrane between the blade and the other shear roll so that the membrane is ruptured.

'7. In a shearing apparatus, a blade roll, an anvil roll, a blade projecting from the blade roll for compressing to a membrane between it and the anvil roll a portion of a strip of elastic material, means for rotating the rolls in opposite inrunning directions to advance the strip of elastic material therebetween, and means spaced from the rolls for tensioning the portion of the strip between it and the rolls, whereby the strip is ruptured when the blade and the anvil roll form the membrane.

8. In a shearing apparatus, a blade roll, an anvil roll positioned in an opposed relationship with respect to the blade roll, a blade projecting from the periphery of the blade roll, means for rotating the anvil roll in one direction at a predetermined peripheral rate of speed, means for rotating the blade .roll in the opposite direction at a rate of speed at which the rate of speed of the blade is different from the peripheral rate of speed of the anvil roll, whereby a strip of matespeed, means for rotating the blade roll in the opposite direction at a rate of speed at which the severing edge of the blade'is moved at a rate of speed greater than the peripheral rate of speed of the anvil roll so that the blade engages and rubs a strip of elastic material over the anvil roll as the blade is advanced into juxtaposition with respect to the anvil roll, a pair of feed rolls for advancing a strip of elastic material to the blade roll and the anvil roll, means for rotating the feed rolls in opposite directions at a peripheral rate of speed less than that of the anvil roll,-

whereby the strip of elastic material advanced by the blade and the anvil rolls and the feed rolls is tensioned therebetween.

12. The method of shearing strips of elastic material which comprises compressing a portion of a strip of material between a blunt instrument and a support to form athin film thereof, and

simultaneously therewith exerting a pull upon to the strip, and simultaneously therewith rethe thin film.

tarding the advancement of the strip to rupture 15. The method of shearing strips of elastic material, which comprises pinching a portion of a strip of material between a blunt instrument and a support to form a thin film thereof, exertments, moving the severing elements in the same direction at different predetermined rates of 11. In a shearing apparatus, a blade roll, ananvil roll, means for pressing the rolls together,

9 n 4 10 speed, and retarding the strip to tension it, whereby the strip is ruptured. w

17 The method f shearing strips of ti The followmg references are of record in the zic material, which comprises compressing to a. file Of this P e thin film a portion of aestrip of elastic material, 5 UNITED STATES E rrpplying an advancing force to the thin film of the strip, retarding the advancement of the strip, Number Name D and rubbing the thin film to rupture it. 1,958,137 Fowler M 1 VINCENT A. RAYBURN. DUER C. ROBSON. 10 

